Manufacture of rims.



R. S. BRYANT. DECD.

o. H. IOBSKI, ADMINISTRATOR.

MANUFACTURE OF RIMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO.1917.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

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'Z-ZCEABJD S. BRYAIYT. EECEASED, LATE OF CLEVELAlSI'D, OHIO, BY OTTO H. J'OBSKI, SPECIAL ADMINISTZRATOR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE STANDARD PARTS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MANUFACTURE or arms.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Application filed May 10, 1917. Serial No. 167,686.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'r'ro H. JoBsKI, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, administrator of the estate of RICHARD S. BRYANT, late a citizen of the United States and resident of Cleveland, Ohio, deceased, believe saidv RICHARD S. Bnraxr to have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Rims, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which it was contemplated applying said principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present improvements. relate more particularly to the manufacture of tiresupporting rims for vehicle wheels, which rims are transversely split at one point in their circumference, in order to facilitate the removal and replacement of tires thereon. Prior to the present invention, rims of this sort have first been made in the same fashion as so-called integral or continuous rims, viz., a strip of stock of the correct length has been circled, the ends have been broiwht into abutting relation and C Welded together, and the flat band or annulus thus formed has thereupon been ap propriately flanged for the reception of either straight side or clencher tires as desired. Following the completion, in this fashion, of the continuous or integral rim, such rim has been literally split, that is sawed in two at a selected point in its circumference.

The object of the present invention is to avoid this roundabout method of manufacture by eliminatingthe necessity for welding the rim blank or preliminarily circled strip of stock, so that the finished product be secured with a minimum number of operations and a corresponding lowering of the cost of manufacture. To the accomplishment of this and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the steps hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail one approved ,one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Figure 1 represents an end view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of a strip of stock such asis used in the manufacture of rims of the sort in hand;'Fig. 3 represents the flanging operation which preferably constitutes the first step in my present improved'process or method of manufacture; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the strip of stock after being thus flanged; Fig. 5 illustrates the circling operation; Fig. 6 represents the trimming operation; and Fig. 7 represents the final setting and sizing step;

In proceeding to make a transversely split rim according to the present improved process or method, the blank strip A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is passed through between suitable rolls 1, 2, to laterally flange such strip, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the flanges a formed thereon being suitable either for engagement with a straight side tire, as in the figure just referred to, or for a clencher tire, as desired. Preferably the strip is cut up into sections having a length slightly in excess of the circumference of the desired rim before being thus flanged; but this is a matter of indifference since a strip of indefinite length may be run through the flanging rolls and cut upinto sectlons af-' terWard, or for that matter such sections may be out off incidentally to the circling operation which constitutes the next step in the process.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the circling is accomplished by means of rolls in a fashion more or less familiar. In other words, feed rolls 3 pass the stock in between two positively driven rolls a, fixed rolls 5 being so located with reference to the latter as to bend such stock into approximately circular form. Where, as indicated is the preferred practice, the stock is previously cut up into sections of the desired length, each such section will be rolled up into a circle so as to constitute what may be called a rim blank. Where the stock has not been previously event, will be a trifle in excess of the prescribed circumference of the finished rim.

The next step in the general process is to place such preliminarily formed rim or rim blank on a circular mandrel 6 having an external diameter approximately equal to the internal diameter of the blank, so that in other words the latter may be drawn (by means of a flexible band 7 for example) into close fitting contact with the mandrel without its ends. contacting. The latter, how

ever, overlie a slot 8 in the mandrel through which a shearing blade 9 is adapted to pass, this slot and the path of the blade being disposed at whatever angle with respect to a radius of the mandrel passing through-the point in question may be desired. Since ordinarily in rims of the type .in question the slit is desirably inclined at an angle tothe radius of the rim passing through the point of such split, this slot 8 and blade 9 are correspondingly inclined with reference to the radius of the mandrel.

With a rim placed on the mandrel in the fashion described, by operating the shearing blade 9,.both ends of such rim will be simultaneously cut off at the angle indicated, and by having the distance around the mandrel from one edge of the slot 8 to the other of exactly the circumference of the finished rim, it will be seen that, following such trimming operation, the blank will be left of just the proper length, when its ends are brought into abutting relation.

The last step in the process-consists in setting and sizing the rim, which may be done in a tire setting machine of familiar construction (see Fig. 7). In other words, the rim blank is placed on a mandrel 10 having an external diameter the same as the internal diameter of the finished rim, and a series of segmental dies 11 are then forced radially inwardly, as by hydraulic pressure, to give such blank a true circular form, and at the same time bring its-ends into. proper abuttingrelation. In order to prevent marring of the ends as well as to allow for a slight clearance between them, such as is desirable, a thin blade 12, carried by one of the die members 11 of the'machine, may be interposed as indicated in the figure last referred to. This blade, as a matter of fact,

may be thicker than the desired clearance,

inasmuch as the fatigue in the metal will take up a portion of the space represented thereby, when the rim is removed from the machine.

The valve-stem hole, as wellas the holes and recesses at the respective ends of the rim for the attachment of the lockingv de- .vice, where one is used, may be formed in course forms-no part of the present inven tion. The foregoing series of operations renders 1t posslble to make a finished rim out of a straight strip of stock without any intermediate welding operation being required,

and thus materially lowers the cost of manufacture, as has been ascertained in actual practice. I A superior product is also formed,

since rim, and by shearing oif the ends, which are subsequently to abut in the finished rim, not

brought into abutting relation.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as rethere is no welded joint in the finished gards the method herein disclosed, provided the step or steps stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated step or steps be employed.

I therefore particularly pointout and dis-' tinctly claim as the invention 1. In the manufacture of transversely split tire-supporting rims for vehicle wheels, the steps which consist. in flanging and circling a strip of stock having a length slightly in excess of the circumference of the desired rim; trimming off the ends of such circled strip to leave the latter of the correct length; and then setting the same to bring the ends into contact, substantially as described.

2. In the manufacture of transversely split tire-supporting rims for vehicle wheels, the steps which consist inflanging and circling a strip of stock having a length slightly in excess of the circumference of the desired rim; trimming off the ends of such circled strip to leave the latter of the correct length; and then setting and shaping the-same to bring. the ends into contact and fix the rim in a true circle.

3. In the manufacture of transversely split tire-supporting rims for vehicle wheels, 7

of such circled strip at the same angle and so as to leave the strip of the correct length;

the ends 126 and then setting the same to bring into contact, substantially as described.

4. In the manufacture of transversely ea ers split tire-supporting rims for vehicle Wheels, same to bring the ends into contact, substanthe steps Which consist in flanging and cir- .tially as described. 10 cling a strip of stock having a length slightly Signed by me, this 7 th day of May, 1917. in excess of the circumference of the desired OTTO H. JOBSKL y 5 rim; simultaneously trimming oil both ends Administrator of the estate of Richard S.

of such circled strip at the same angle, Bryant, deceased. namely, an angle inclined to a radius of Attested bysaid strip, and thereby leaving the latter of VELMA L. WILLIAMS,

the correct length; and then setting. the S. S. PELOW. 

